Motor-starting switch.



C. A. AHLSTROM.

MOTOR STARTING SWITCH.

APPUcATmN min UL20. |916.

1,231,229. PatentedJune 26,1917.

@l UML AL nNTITEDy STATEs PATENT CEEICE.

CARL ABEL AnLsTRoM, oF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, AsszIGNIoE Tp ITHE TnuMBuLI.

ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A COE- POEATIN oF CONNECTICUT,

MOTOR-STARTING SWITCH.

To allfwlmm t may concern:

Be itlknownthat I, CARL ABEL AHLSTROM, a citizenjofqthe United States of America, residing at New Britain. Connecticut, have inventedfa new anjd useful Motor-Starting Switch,l of which the following is a' specifiL cation.` l j Considerahlji1 more power is usually required: tof-start a motor than. is required to maintain 'the vmotor its running s eed. The 'fuses vor other safety devices emp oyed to protect the circuit in its normal operating condition are', therefore, likely to be operated if they are incircuit when the motor is started; To prevent' this, it has been customary to employ a' switchby means of which the motor can'be started without having-the,

fuses in circuit and as soon as the motoris at running speed the fuses are thrown 1n.

Itfis my: main object in a' construction of this Character, to prevent the operator from starting the motor with, the fuses in circuit, in other Words, to compel .the operator to first' close the switch in the non-fused position.

Another object is to arrange such aA construction in an inclosure which can only be opened when the, circuit is open. I have also sought to construct the switch and opera-ting mechanism so that it may be eco- I Iomicall;I made. and will be reliable and durable in operation. 1

Brieliy considered` the invention lcontemplates the employment of an operating handle with aspecial ratchet device which can only be movedto the fused rnnning'position afterit has been moved to the non-fused starting position. The cover of the inclosure and the handle coperate s o that the cover can be opened only when the handle is in the off position,

Figure is a front View of a switch embodying the improvements of my invention, the cover being parti)7 broken away to show the interior, and theswitch beingr in the fused running'posit-ion.

Fig. 2 is a side View of the same, part of the casing being broken away to show interior parts of the mechanism. l

Fig. 8 a Section on the plane o f the line 3--3 of -F ig. 1, but showing the handle in specification of Letters raient'. Patented Juin@ 26, 1917, Application med Abrazo, 191e. serial notam.

the open circuit position and the cover partly raised.

Fig. l is a detail perspective view of the handle ratchet hub. j

The switch mechanism parts are preferabl)1 mounted on an insulating base such as 10 of. suitable material. Onefof the circuit terminals 11 is electrically connected with a hinge post, 12 to which` is hinged a member 'having three armsl, 14. `and 15. The other circuit terminal 16 is mounted at the opposite end of. the base.

A pair of yieldingj jaws 1-7 constitutes one of the switch contacts which is electrically connected, for instance, by a Wire or bar 1S with the circuit terminal 16, Another pair of jaws 41-9. constitutes the other switch con.h tact which is electricall)1 connected to one end of the protective'device in this instance a fuse 20. .The other. end of the fuse is electrically connected' with the circuit terminal 16. v

A. plurality of these sets of terminals and protective devices may be employed.` and in this' instance the arms 14:*14 of the movable switch members are connected by an insulating member 21.- A U-shaped member 22 has its ends hinged at 23 in the side Walls of thc casing 24. The cross bar of this member 22- is connected to the insulatingr cross piece 21 so that the switch may be operated by oscillating the U-shaped member-22. When the U-shaped member 22 or interior handle,.as itmay be termed,4 is moved downward as viewed in Fig. 1, the. arm 13 engages the jaws 17 and completes the circuit around the protecting device, so that the motor may be started without the current passing through thel protective device. When the interior-.handle is thrown upward, as shown in Fig. 1 so that the switch arm 15 engages the jaws 19, current passes through the protective` device.

A hub 25 secured to the casing concentric to one of the axles 23 of the switch members is provided with recesses and shoulders, as will be hereinafter understood. A member 26 secured on the outer end of the axle or hinge 23 carries a plunger 27 in a wedge shape slot 28.- A spring 29 presses this plunger downward toward the hub 2 5. Normally when the switch is in thc oil' or open position, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3. The plunger 27 in this position abuts against the shoulder 30 in the hub, so that the member 26 cannot be moved upward to the fused side of the switch. The member 26 can, however, be moved downward toward the unfused side and in such movement the inclined face 31 forces the plunger out toward the outer edge of the hub 25 and the spring 29 causes the plunger to snap down over the edge 32. The member 26 may now be moved toward the running or fused side of the switch, in which event the plunger 27 rides up the incline 33 until it reaches the inclined shoulder 34 which forces the plunger inward to therecess 35 where the parts remain in the running position of the motor. When it is desired to open the switch, the member 26 is moved downward again toward the position shown in Fig. 3, in which event the plunger 27 rides up the incline 36 and snaps down below the shoulder 30. It will thus be seen it is impossible to start the switch to the upward or fused position on account of the engagement of the plunger 27 with the shoulder 30, and that the inclined faces and shoulders on the hub 25 permit the switch to be started in the unfused position and then moved without interference to the fused or motor running position. Preferably, a spring 37 is provided for automatically throwing the switch to the motor running position as soon as the handle is released from the motor starting 'position The member 26 may bc and preferably is provided with a handle 38 so that the switch can be operated from outside. the casing. For safety the switch casing is preferably provided with a cover 39, and to prevent the cover from being opened when the switch is in the closed position, I preferably provide a flange 40 with a notch 4l immediately above the hub 25, and I also provide the member 26 with a projection 42 in line with this notch 41. Then the cover is closed and the switch in either the starting or running position, the projection 42 will overlie one of the flanges 40 on thc cover and thus prevont opening the cover. It will thus be seen it is impossible to raise the cover 39 unless the member 26 is in the off position of the switch with the projection 42 above the notch 41.

What I claim is 1. The combination in a switch of the character described having a movable switch member and a handle, of a stationary member having a central stop shoulder with an incline leading to the upper edge thereof and a guide passage at one side thereof, an incline leading from said shoulder laterally to said guide passage, the bottom of said guide passage mcreasing in height toward thc base of the incline leading to thc upper part of said stop shoulder and an inclined shoulder leading from the upper part of said guide passage to the bottom of said incline and a longitudinally and laterally movable plunger movable with said switchv handle and coperating with said shoulders and said inclines.

2. In a switch of the character described, a stationary member having two guide passages meeting at opposite ends and spaced apart adjacent their centers, with inclined connecting faces at the ends and a stop shoulder in the middle portion of one of said passages and a movable member carrying a longitudinally and laterally movable plunger operating in said passages substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

3. In a switch of the character described, the combination of an operating handle, a spring for impelling said handle in one direction, a stop shoulder and plunger for normally opposing said spring, and means for moving said plunger to one side of said stop when said plunger is moved away from said stop.

4. In a switch of the character described, the combination of two sets of stationary contacts, a movable switch member having two sets of arms adapted to engage said contacts, a stationary hub having an irregular guide channel with stop shoulders, a handle having a bearing in said hub and connected to said movable switch member, and a spring pressed plunger carried by said handle and coperating with the walls of said channel and shoulders.

5. In a switch of the character described, an inclosure, an operating handle carried thereby, cooperating elements holding said operating handle in the open circuit position and permitting said handle to be normally moved in one direction only from said open position, means for moving one of the cooperating elements after the operating handle has been moved from the 'open circuit position so as to permit the movement of the operating handle in a contrary direction sufliciently to close the circuit at the opposite end of the throw of the operating handle, a locking projection carried by the handle, a cover hinged to said inclosure and having two rojecting shoulders spaced apart from each other and adapted to cooperate with the projection on said handle to prevent opening said cover except when the switch is in the oi or open circuit position.

6. In a switch, a movable switch member having two connected pivoted contact arms, two stationary switch contacts adapted to be engaged by said arms, two circuit terminals, a protective device located between one of said stationary contacts and one of said circuit terminals, one circuit terminal being connected to said movable switch member and the other circuit terminal be ing connected to the stationary switch con tact on the unprotected side of the Switch, n stationary member having inclined grooves and faces, :in oscillating member, a plunger carried thereby for coperatng with said grooves lfind faces to prevent movement of the switch toward the protective device contact until after the switch has been moved toward the unprotected side, and means of connection between said oscillating member and Said movable switch member.

CARL ABEL AHLSTROM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

